Remote control and management device for heating system using a smart phone application and method thereof

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are a remote control and management device for a heating system and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a remote control and management device for a heating system using direct communication of a room controller (R/C), in which a smart phone application (APP) suffering from an authentication procedure by an integrated management server and a wireless (WIFI)/wired (LAN) module are equipped, and a remote control and management method for a heating system using the same.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES

The present application is based on Korean Application No. 10-2013-0065444 which was filed on Jun. 7, 2013, and published on May 21, 2014, as Korean Application Publication No. 10-2014-0061209, which does not qualify as prior art under AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1)(A). A copy of the Korean application publication is attached hereto.

BACKGROUND

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a remote control and management device for a heating system and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a remote control and management device for a heating system using direct communication of a room controller (R/C), in which a smart phone application (APP) suffering from an authentication procedure by an integrated management server and a wireless (WIFI)/wired (LAN) module are equipped, and a remote control and management method for a heating system using the same.

Generally, as a heating system, there are an individual heating system and temperature control systems for each room, in which the individual heating system is a system which includes combustion devices such as a boiler individually installed in each residential facility and distributes heating media generated by the combustion devices into each room and the temperature control system for each room is a system which supplies heat generated from a single large-scale heat production facility to individual residential facilities through a long outdoor pipe, allows the individual residential facilities to supply the heat to each room through a hot-water distributor, and then controls a valve attached to the hot-water distributor using separate temperature controllers installed in each room to individually adjust temperature of each room.

In the individual heating system or the temperature control systems for each room (hereinafter, referred to as ‘heating system’), in order for a user to conveniently control the temperature of each room, the temperature controllers are installed in each room to be able to control the temperature of each room.

However, according to the related art, to operate and stop the heating system or provide the temperature control thereof, a consumer needs to move to a place at which the temperature controllers, video phones, or wall pads for each room are installed so as to operate the heating system.

Therefore, when a user comes home from a visit for a long period of time in a state in which the heating system is not operated while in winter season in which heating is mostly used, the heating system is not working, and therefore he/she waits for much time to heat the house after directly operating the temperature controller.

In this case, when the heating system fails, it takes much time to apply A/S and repair the heating system, and therefore the consumer may feel considerable inconvenience.

Therefore, in the case of the recently developed heating system, a technology for controlling operation/stopping of a heating system is greatly developed and thus even though as the case in the past, a consumer does not directly operate a temperature controller, he/she may remotely operate the temperature controller using communication devices (including general wireless/wired phone, mobile phone, PCS, PDA, Internet, etc.).

Therefore, even though the consumer goes out, he/she accesses the heating system using the communication devices to monitor a state of the heating system and when the failure of the heating system occurs, a causal analysis thereon is immediately performed to rapidly and accurately cope with the failure of the heating system and thus the convenience of the consumer may be more improved.

RELATED ART DOCUMENT Patent Document

(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-0584833

SUMMARY

The wired and wireless control system of a boiler disclosed in the above Patent Document has a structure that it does not directly communicate with a boiler system but may communicate with the boiler system through a second or third device and therefore data may be lost on a communication path.

Further, due to the structure of controlling the temperature of the boiler system through the Internet and a wired network, a function of controlling the boiler system may be restrictive and since the consumer does not apply A/S until defects occurs and waits for much time, human, temporal, and economical difficulties may occur.

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a remote control and management device for a heating system using a smart phone application and a method thereof capable of providing an accurate remote control of the heating system by solving a loss problem of data by providing direct communication with the smart phone application through an integrated management server using a WIFI module for a wireless control and an LAN module for a wired control which are equipped in a room controller (R/C) and various kinds of devices which may control the heating system and providing a before service to enable the heating system to diagnose its own state for 24 hours and transmit the diagnosed result to the integrated management server so as to diagnose in advance and repair problems of the heating system before the problems occur.

In one embodiment, a remote control and management device for a heating system using a smart phone application includes: a room controller (R/C) configured to be equipped with a WIFI module for a wireless control and a LAN module for a wired control, receive unique data for server authentication, and control a plurality of device parts associated with an operation of a heating system; a wireless router configured to receive the unique data stored in the room controller (R/C) through WIFI communication or LAN communication and access an integrated management server through the Ethernet to transmit the received unique data; an integrated management server and a database configured to extract the unique data transmitted from the room controller (R/C), perform an authentication procedure, and store the unique data; and an application configured to be installed in a smart phone of a user and when the unique data are input and a membership joining procedure is performed to complete an authentication procedure, connect the smart phone to the room controller through the integrated management server to perform a remote control and management of the heating system.

In another embodiment, a remote control and management method using a remote control and management device for a heating system using a smart phone application includes: transmitting unique data of a room controller (R/C) equipped with a WIFI module for a wireless control and a LAN module for a wired control to an integrated management server through a wireless router; extracting the transmitted unique data from the integrated management server, performing an authentication procedure on devices and storing and registering the unique data in an integrated management server and a database; inputting, by a user, the unique data of the room controller using a smart phone application (APP), inputting other essential information, and then performing a user authentication procedure by membership joining to store and register membership information in the integrated management server and the database; and performing a remote control and management on a heating system by connecting the user of the smart phone to the room controller (R/C) through the integrated management server.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and other advantages will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an overall system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a registration process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

To help understand the present invention, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Therefore, shapes of components in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity. It is to be noted that in each drawing, like reference numerals will be used to designate like components. Further, a detailed description for functions and configurations that may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention will be omitted.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, an overall system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a room controller (R/C) 100 configured to be equipped with a WIFI module 101 a for a wireless control and a LAN module 101 b for a wired control, input with a unique data for server authentication, and control a plurality of device parts associated with an operation of a heating system 300, a wireless router 110 configured to receive the unique data stored in the room controller 100 from the WIFI module 101 a for a wireless control and the LAN module 101 b for a wired control and access an integrated management server 120 though the Ethernet to transmit the unique data, the integrated management server 120 and a database 130 configured to extract the unique data transmitted from the room controller 100, perform an authenticating procedure on the extracted unique data, and then store the unique data, and an application 210 configured to be installed in a smart phone 200 of a user and when the unique data are input and a membership joining procedure is performed to complete an authentication procedure, connect the smart phone 200 to the room controller 100 through the integrated management server 120 to perform a remote control and management of the heating system 300.

In this configuration, the room controller 100 is configured to include the WIFI module 101 a and the LAN module 101 b which perform communication with the wireless router 110, a controller 103 which controls an RS485 or PLC module 102, the WIFI module 101 a, and the LAN module 101 b performing communication with the heating system 300, and a central processor 104 which processes transmitted data.

Similarly, the heating system 300 includes the RS485 or PLC module 301 performing communication with the room controller 100 and a control unit 302 controlling devices configuring the heating system 300 by communicating with the room controller 100 through the RS485 or PLC module 301.

The controller 103 controls transmission and reception of data to and from the WIFI module 101 a, the LAN module 101 b, and the RS485 or PLC module 102, transmits a control command transmitted from the WIFI module 101 a or the LAN module 101 b to the central processor 104 to receive a control command converted into an RS485 or PLC communication type and transmit the received control command to the RS485 or PLC module 102, and transmits state information received through the RS485 or PLC module 102 from the heating system 300 to the central processor 104 to receive state information converted into a WIFI or LAN communication type and transmit the received state information to the WIFI module 101 a or the LAN module 101 b.

The central processor 104 searches for SSID of the wireless router 110 and then receives a password of the wireless router 110 from a user to be connected to the wireless router, receives data transmitted from the controller 103 to process the data in a communication type suitable for WIFI module wireless (WIFI), wired LAN 101, or the RS485 or PLC module and transmit the processed information to the controller 103.

Meanwhile, the room controller 100 is not limited to the embodiment of the present invention and may be replaced by various kinds of devices such as a video phone controlling a plurality of device parts associated with an operation of the heating system 300.

The integrated management server 120 is configured to include a first communication unit 121 for processing data transmitted from the smart phone 200, a second communication unit 122 connected to the wireless router 110 through the Ethernet, and a database 130 storing data received from the smart phone 200 and the room controller 100 of the user. The integrated management server 120 performs user authentication and then provides an application only to the authenticated user to perform member registration through a member registration program Further, the integrated management server 120 provides a control command transmission program for the heating system 300 installed in the home only to the registered member through the application to receive the control command transmitted from a user which is a member. Further, the integrated management server 120 transmits the control command of the heating system 300 to the wireless router 110 through the Ethernet and outputs the state information of the heating system 300 received from the wireless router 110 to the smart phone application 210 of the user and at the same time, stores the state information in the database 130 so as to enable a heating system manager to confirm the state information.

The smart phone application 210 is configured to be installed in the smart phone 200 of the user and display and activate an interface which may input the control command of the heating system 300 on a display unit of the smart phone 300 and then generate a control signal matching an input signal of the user operating the interface displayed on the display unit and transmit the generated control signal to the integrated management server 120.

FIG. 2 illustrates a registration process according to the embodiment of the present invention which will be described below.

The room controller 100 installed in the home to control the heating system 300 accesses the wireless router 110 in the home through the equipped WIFI module 101 a or the LAN module 101 b to transmit unique data for identification which are input to the room controller 100 to the accessed wireless router 110.

When the unique data transmitted to the wireless router 110 are transmitted to the integrated management server 120 through the Ethernet, suffer from an authentication procedure and are then successfully registered, the unique data registered in the integrated management server 120 and the database 130 are stored.

The user using the smart phone 200 downloads the application 210 to input the unique data, inputs other essential information and then performs an authentication procedure with the integrated management server 120 by membership joining, and stores membership information in the database 130.

When the authentication procedure is complete, the smart phone 200 is connected to the room controller 100 through the integrated management server 120 and the user may control and manage the heating system 300 in the home using the smart phone application (APP) 210 for 24 hours without regard to time and place.

Further, the room controller 100 transmits the state of the heating system 300 to the integrated management server 120 for 24 hours. In this case, the user activates the smart phone application 210 to confirm the state of the heating system 300. Meanwhile, the state information of the heating system 300 is accumulated and stored in the database 130 of the integrated management server, the data are processed using a daemon program, and the state thereof is confirmed by a customer center 140, thereby providing a before service.

According to the remote control and management device for a heating system using a smart phone application (APP) of the present invention, it is possible to remotely control all the functions of the heating system, such as heating, hot water control, capacity control, and reservation which are performed in the home, using the smart phone application (APP) and safely confirm the state of the heating system even from the outside for 24 hours using a state alarm function.

Further, it is possible to perform the rapid and accurate remote control of the heating system by solving the problem of the data loss by equipping the WIFI module and the LAN module in the room controller (R/C) and various devices which may control the heating system to provide the direct communication with the smart phone APP.

It is possible for the user to keep more comfortable and warm indoor temperature for 24 hours and enjoy more safe and smart life by introducing the before service by performing the remote control from the outside.

The embodiments of the present invention relating to the remote control and management device for a heating system using a smart phone application and the method thereof are only an example and therefore it may be appreciated that various changes and other equivalent embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art. Therefore, it may be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the forms mentioned in the above detailed description. Accordingly, the actual technical protection scope of the present invention must be determined by the spirit of the appended claims. Further, it is to be construed that the present invention includes all the changes, equivalents, and substitutions without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A remote control and management device for a heating system using a smart phone application, comprising: a room controller (R/C) configured to be equipped with a WIFI module for a wireless control and a LAN module for a wired control, receive unique data for server authentication, and control a plurality of device parts associated with an operation of a heating system; a wireless router configured to receive the unique data stored in the room controller (R/C) through the WIFI module or the LAN module and access an integrated management server through the Ethernet to transmit the received unique data; an integrated management server and a database configured to extract the unique data transmitted from the room controller (R/C), perform an authentication procedure, and store the unique data; and an application configured to be installed in a smart phone of a user and when the unique data are input and a membership joining procedure is performed to complete an authentication procedure, connect the smart phone to the room controller through the integrated management server to perform a remote control and management of the heating system.
 2. A remote control and management method for a heating system using a smart phone application, comprising: transmitting unique data of a room controller (R/C) equipped with a WIFI module for a wireless control and a LAN module for a wired control to an integrated management server through a wireless router; extracting the transmitted unique data from the integrated management server, performing an authentication procedure on devices and storing and registering the unique data in an integrated management server and a database; inputting, by a user, the unique data of the device using a smart phone application (APP), inputting other essential information, and then performing a user authentication procedure by membership joining to store and register membership information in the integrated management server and the database; and performing a remote control and management on a heating system by connecting the smart phone application to the room controller (R/C) through the integrated management server. 